Ghost the Musical – Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury and Touring

Ghost the Musical was reviewed at the Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury. The tour continues until 3 May 2025.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Wow, where do I begin? Ghost the Musical is one of the best musicals I’ve seen in years, and I’ve been fortunate enough to see a lot of shows. It’s powerful, evocative and a display of incredible talent. As a big fan of the popular film (1990) starring Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg, I was sceptical about how it would translate to the stage. Still, I was blown away by every aspect, from the performances to the staging. The original screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin, who won an Oscar for the film, has been heavily involved in adapting the screenplay, and the care and attention given to this show are apparent.

Ghost the Musical follows our protagonists, Molly Jenson (Rebekah Lowings) and her partner Sam Wheat (Josh St Clair) as they move into their new loft apartment in Brooklyn, New York. As they excitably discuss their future, their plans are cut short by a seemingly chance encounter with a mugger, who shoots and kills Sam as he steals his wallet. Sam is then caught between this world and the next as he tries to solve his murder and protect Molly from the same fate. Using the reluctant psychic, Oda Mae Brown (Jacqui Dubois), Sam can communicate with the living. Starring Les Dennis as the hospital ghost and bank manager, Lionel Ferguson, this show packs a punch.

The score is beautiful and cleverly weaves in the signature track, ‘Unchained Melody’ by the Righteous Brothers. Accompanied by the live band led by musical director Jordan Alexander, the songs are performed with astounding quality by the cast. With harmonies that sent a shiver down my spine, I was mesmerised throughout. There was also such a variety of styles, including ballads, soul and spoken word.

In addition to the epic singing, the acting is just as impressive. Cast members fully inhabit their roles, making every emotion that is conveyed on the stage believable – so much so that I shed tears, laughed and was tense in my seat. It’s almost impossible to identify just one standout performance, but if I were to pinpoint the stars of the show, it would have to be the main characters, Lowings, St Clair, Dubois and James Mateo-Salt as Carl Bruner.

As viewers of the film will be aware, several scenes involve otherworldly beings and if presented wrongly on the stage, those could be seen as comical rather than fear-inducing. As certain characters are killed, the transition into being a ghost is incredibly skilful and tastefully done. At times, it is hard to see how they managed to coordinate some of the props so smoothly – the magic of theatre is well and truly alive. The staging designed by Mark Bailey perfectly displays the familiar settings of the scenes, such as the loft apartment, sky-scraping Manhattan offices and the graffitied Bronx subway train.

If I could give this show six stars, I would. I urge you to catch this production while you can, you won’t regret this spectacular night of theatre.

Hannah Grimmette